Obituary: BRIAN WILSON (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025)

Brian Wilson:
A studio perfectionist who heard symphonies in surf music

Brian Wilson, whose crystalline harmonies and studio innovations redefined popular music, died on June 11, 2025, aged eighty-two. Known to millions as the creative engine behind the Beach Boys, his early work captured the youthful optimism of California in the early 1960s. But Wilson’s destiny never conformed to that cheerful facade.

Born in Inglewood, California, on June 20, 1942, Wilson showed early promise as a composer and arranger. With his brothers Carl and Dennis alongside cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine, he founded the Beach Boys in 1961. Their catchy surf pop singles such as “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and “I Get Around” quickly earned chart success. Yet Wilson’s ambitions extended far beyond teenage anthems.

By the mid-1960s he retreated from live performance to concentrate in the studio. The result was Pet Sounds, released in 1966. Combining orchestral textures, experimental effects and introspective lyrics, it resonated with both critics and peers alike. Paul McCartney famously called it essential listening, while “Good Vibrations,” recorded during the same era, became a landmark in pop innovation.

His creative highs, however, were shadowed by a long decline. A fraught relationship with his father fostered early emotional turmoil. Mental health struggles intensified in the late 1960s and 1970s. He battled addiction, reported experiencing destructive voices, was at times confined at home and even installed a sandbox in his dining room as a coping mechanism. From the 1980s through the early 1990s, Wilson became entangled with therapist Eugene Landy in a controversial and controlling arrangement.

Nonetheless, Wilson staged a series of artistic revivals. His 1988 eponymous solo album marked a return to recording. And in 2004 he triumphantly revisited Smile, an unfinished 1967 project reimagined as Brian Wilson Presents Smile. That work earned him new fame and a Grammy, affirming his place among pop’s architects.

Brian Wilson © Capitol Photo Archives

His later years were marked by decline. A conservatorship was imposed in 2024, after the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter earlier that year. He was also diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder akin to dementia.

Wilson had seven children across two marriages. His family, in announcing his death, said they were at a loss for words and asked for privacy.

In the annals of pop music, Wilson’s legacy looms large. He was a pioneer of studio centric recording, treating the mixing desk as an instrument itself. His work bridged teenage escapism and deeper emotional resonance. He elevated the Beach Boys from surf rock novelty to musical innovators. Hits such as “California Girls” and “God Only Knows” remain etched in the collective consciousness. America’s Mozart leaves behind a catalogue of songs and recordings that defined an era and continue to influence artists decades later.

In an age when pop music often feels disposable, Brian Wilson stood apart. His perfectionism and emotional candor forged a body of work that endures. He was both blueprint and outlier, a tortured genius whose melodies captured both sun‑soaked bliss and intimate regret. The world will long hear the echoes of his harmonies and remember a craftsman who saw what pop could be.